running

10k

The Alpha Male Tale

russellsays

I have just finished reading Running With The Buffaloes, which followed a team of university athletes for a season as they trained for the USA Cross Country team title (they came 3rd). I should have read this book years ago, as it has gone down in the running world as a cult classic. Reading it brought forward a stark contrast of memories for me, of my time living and training with an elite group of Kenyan athletes, as they trained for the World Cross Country team title (they came 1st). The difference between how the athletes and coach behaved are profound. I sometimes wish I wrote an account of it then, but, at the time I was fully immersed, and I wonder if the note taking and interviews would have changed the experience I had.

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 marathon

The Wrexham Revenant

russellsays

Should I give the marathon another crack? Some infuriating voice inside just won’t let it lie.
Is this the voice of my inner hero, about to embark on a glorious comeback? Or is this the voice of a washed up has-been, who just doesn’t know when to quit? Unfortunately, there’s only one way to find out. Anything else looks like fear and retirement to me. So I sign up for Wrexham Elite Marathon and start my 12 week training block.

 10k

London Loadup – Week 5. National Cross Country

russellsays

I do not want to run the National Cross Country champs this year. I don’t want to do the 3 and a half hour drive. I don’t want to run around in the mud. I’m tired. I’d rather stay here with my family. But the problem of being an athlete/ coach, is you have to lead by example. I wouldn’t be very happy if one of my athletes said they didn’t do a race that had been in their schedule for months, because they couldn’t be bothered.

 comment

The Best of 2019

russellsays

If you look at my race results for 2019, it has been a disaster. No legit Personal Bests anywhere, two atrocious road marathons, 2 failures to make the GB team, and even a few DNFs (Did Not Finish) next to my name.

Thankfully, the results aren’t what I remember. Well, of course I remember them, but they are not as important to me as all the adventures I’ve had. It has been an incredible year for adventuring, both in running, in life, and in running life. Silly.